On simplicity

It’s hard.

DJ Shadow has a song titled “Why Hip-Hop Sucks In '96” – It’s 43 seconds long and mostly consists of a loop taken from the song Snap by Cleo McNett (Sidenote – that is one amazing name!).

25 Seconds in, a voice appears “It’s the money” with a beautiful echo putting some extra emphasis on the last word. Unfortunately, I do not know where the voice sample is taken from.

I have always liked that song.

True to his style it is a beautiful instrumental and I admire his skill. Identifying that one phrase from Snap. Playing it in a loop. Withstanding the temptation to add a bunch of stuff 🤌

So simple. So hard to do.

The top comment on the song reads:

Its so simple but so poetic at the same time. He devoted a whole song just to say money is ruining hip hop. So simple but so genius and also completely true

Simple. Genius. Completely true.

I one hundred percent agree with the first part there. I somewhat agree with the second. But the third one?

I don’t know.

I do agree, that this song is a beautiful poem though.

And a brilliant example of simplicity at work.